The essay "Commencement Speech" speaks about the effects that the desire of perfect have on our youth. In order to solve this 'problem' the author urges us to stop trying to be perfect. There are certain aspects in life that can't be achieved and chasing them may destroy us. On the other hand the ambition to achieve goals that signify a step towards perfection not only gives us a reason to live but makes us work to be better in the process. The idea of perfection is an illusion in our mind. Perfection can be defined simply as something unattainable. In this case it's a goal in anyone's life depending on their desires and hopes. It's not necessarily bad to strive for goals when we are taught to set goals and achieve them. The thin line between the burden of perfection and a self set goal is the attainability. If we set unattainable goals it becomes a burden; if we set attainable goals then it's an accomplishment. Both push us towards perfection but one is healthy and the other is not. The author is saying to drop unattainable goals.
These goals can be pushed on by anyone that affects our choices. We need to be aware of our limits. There is nothing wrong with wanting to please others if we please ourselves in the process but we must identify our limits and how far we are willing to push ourselves. When we get to the point where we are only hurting ourselves that is when we should "lay [our] burden down". We shouldn't fall under the pressures if we can't benefit ourselves as well as the people whose opinions matter to us, it shouldn't be one sided. We must know our balance.
People work their whole lives to find the balance. Those who aren’t haven’t even figured out that there is a balance. Everything in nature has a balance including people. Balancing ourselves is as close to perfection as we can get. The balance between our family life, home life and social life all depend on the choices we make and how they effect the people we care about and vice versa. If we drop unattainable goals and just focus on the attainable ones then all we have to worry about is the balance between pleasing ourselves and pleasing everyone that affects us. Then the question becomes is it more beneficial to please ourselves or to please everyone else. Other questions arise like: is it possible to please both and still achieve my overall goal? Is it worth hurting people in the process? etc.
These are questions we ask ourselves all the time without realizing its purpose. These are the questions that weigh our burden. After the decision is made we have to wonder did we make the right decision. The balance between our burdens doesn’t guarantee that there won’t be guilt, or regret but it does satisfy the need for perfection. We ourselves have to identify the necessary risks in order to obtain our goals and weigh the options. We have to learn to accept our consequences no matter how great in order to matain the balance. If we can’t live with the consequences then we may not have made the right choice. It is a matter of perspective. This thought along can cause the burden as heavy as “a backpack full of bricks”. And the process starts all over again. (572)
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